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Facebook CEO wants to augment your reality

Posted on Thursday, April 20, 2017 by Norman Carr

Reuters
Facebook is focused on creating experiences that will fundamentally change how people interact with each other and the physical world

"We're offering a suite of creative tools to give our community of artists and developers the power to create a full spectrum of effects for the new Facebook camera, from simple photo frames to interactive effects and masks using the latest in augmented reality technologies", says Facebook.

With Facebook Spaces, the social network giant is extending the limits of Virtual Reality.

"We see the beginning of a new platform", Zuckerberg said.

The "Camera Effects Platform" will let developers build AR features and lenses for the Facebook in app camera and facebook is making the tools available freely.

Zuckerberg envisions the marriage of augmented reality and Facebook's camera feature enabling people to make even mundane chores, like doing the dishes, look entertaining with digital effects.

Facebook was not mindlessly copying Snapchat with its recent update on its various platforms such as Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp.

It also launched a virtual world, called Facebook Spaces, created to let users of its Oculus Rift VR headset hang out with avatar versions of their friends in a virtual world.

According to a report in Time on Tuesday, AR-powered camera effects will be launching in a closed beta starting immediately.

"Just like Apple built the iPod and iTunes ecosystem before the iPhone, you want to make sure there's a set of content there, even if there's not everything", Mr. Zuckerberg said.

"We're building further out beyond augmented reality, and that includes work around direct brain interfaces that one day will let you communicate using only your mind, although that stuff is pretty far out", he said.

He also added that Facebook is developing Camera (read Facebook Camera) as the first augmented reality platform. The new Automated Insights tool uses advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence to bring valuable insights directly to you such as changes in purchases for a new version of your app.

If the iPhone's camera supported augmented reality, every iOS game developer could take advantage of its 3D scanner and depth sensing to overlay virtual games on top of everyday life.

Zuckerberg also briefly addressed a tragedy that took place Monday, when a man posted video of a murder on Facebook.

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